EKOCYCLE™ Shines a Spotlight on Sustainability at Global Citizen Festival

EKOCYCLE™ Shines a Spotlight on Sustainability at Global Citizen Festival
EKOCYCLE co-founders Coca-Cola and musician will.i.am issue Global Citizen
grant and announce a program to increase recycling in 2014
Business Wire
ATLANTA -- September 27, 2013
This month, EKOCYCLE is celebrating those who strive to make positive social
change in the world and enlisting millions to take part in a challenge to
recycle. As Official Recycling/Suitability Partner of the 2013 Global Citizen
Festival Concert, EKOCYCLE is proud to be a part of the worldwide movement to
end extreme poverty.
The concert will feature performances by Stevie Wonder, Kings of Leon, Alicia
Keys and John Mayer. It is timed to provide world leaders with a clear and
compelling mandate to promote social good as they gather at the United Nations
General Assembly in New York. In-person attendance combined with online and
television viewership of the one-day festival is expected to exceed 15
million.
The Sept. 28 Festival, in partnership with the Cotton On Foundation, is a
free-ticketed concert which will take place in New York’s Central Park, and is
produced by Global Citizen. This education and advocacy organization inspires
people to take positive action to benefit social causes dealing with poverty,
sustainability, health and more.
Musician will.i.am will serve as a presenter during the concert. He created
the EKOCYCLE brand in collaboration with The Coca-Cola Company to educate
people about everyday recycling choices and empower their purchasing decisions
as part of a social change movement. EKOCYCLE repurposes items like plastic
bottles into fashion-forward lifestyle products in partnership with today’s
biggest trendsetters and brands, including adidas^®, Beats by Dr. Dre^®,
Levi’s^®, New Era^® and RVCA^®.
will.i.am will issue a recycling challenge to festival attendees, viewers and
visitors to GlobalCitizen.org. He also will announce a $200,000 EKOCYCLE grant
that will be awarded to Global Citizen, along with the creation and execution
of a national recycling campaign launching in 2014.
“The Global Citizen Festival is a great opportunity to urge millions of people
to participate in behavioral change that creates a positive impact in the
world,” said Beatriz Perez, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer,
The Coca-Cola Company. “The act of recycling goes far beyond putting your
Coke^® bottle in a recycling bin. As will.i.am says, ‘waste is only waste if
you waste it.’ And it’s true. When you recycle, a bottle can become something
entirely new and different. We hope that by delivering that message, we can
inspire 15 million people to be more vigilant in their efforts to be more
sustainable.”
Free tickets to the Festival were earned at www.globalfestival.com where fans
took online "action" to earn their admission. After registering to become a
Global Citizen, fans chose from a variety of actions to earn points. Watching
videos, signing petitions or sending emails to world leaders all help build
points balances. Fans then used their earned points to qualify for free
tickets to the Festival.
“The initial idea of the Global Citizen Festival was to put pressing world
issues on the same stage as musicians,whose messages are naturally amplified.
Partnering with brands that have sustainability built into their ethos, like
EKOCYCLE, completes the cycle for ultimate outreach for change,” said Ryan
Gall,Global CitizenCo-Founder and Executive Producer.
In 2012, the Global Citizen Festival became the largest syndicated charity
event in online and broadcast TV history. Garnering more than 15 million
viewers and 2 billion media impressions, the Festival gained $1.3 billion in
new commitments from government and non-governmental organizations.
About will.i.am
A multi-faceted entertainer, creative innovator and philanthropist, will.i.am
is best known for his work with The Black Eyed Peas, who have sold 33 million
albums and 58 million singles worldwide. will.i.am’s new solo cd, #willpower
on Interscope Records, was released in April, 2013. The first two singles
include worldwide platinum hit “This is Love” featuring Eva Simons, and
“Scream & Shout” featuring Britney Spears, which shot to number one on the
iTunes single chart and to top three on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. As a
producer, will.i.am has worked with some of the music industry’s biggest names
including Michael Jackson, Rihanna, Usher, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, Miley
Cyrus, David Guetta and film composer Hans Zimmer. will.i.am is the recipient
of multiple Grammy Awards, a Latin Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, two NAACP
Image Awards, the BMI President’s Award and a 2008 Webby Award. will.i.am's
i.am angel foundation (www.iamangelfoundation.org) supports young people
through programs focused on education, activities that build STEAM (science,
technology, engineering, arts and math) skills and college scholarship
assistance. The foundation also operates a mortgage relief program and
financial literacy workshops.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company,
refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by
Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features
16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero,
vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally,
we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and
juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution
system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of
more than 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building
sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our
environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe,
inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic
development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling
partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than
700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at
www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at @CocaColaCo or check out our
blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com.
Contact:
The Coca-Cola Company
Scott Williamson, 404-676-3288
swilliamson@coca-cola.com